


Magnus Bane and the Crypt of Alicante

by Red_Disa



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fluff and Angst, Original Character(s), Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 18,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22376872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Disa/pseuds/Red_Disa
Summary: Magnus and Alec were happily adjusting to their new life together in Idris, until the Demon Towers began to malfunction. An impatient and inquisitive Magnus, left to his own devices, finds himself trapped in the catacombs beneath Alicante, facing an ancient evil. Alec, driven by his fierce love for Magnus, will do anything to save him.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 13
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

“Two Americanos and two chocolate croissants, please. Yes, that’ll be all.” Magnus Bane felt eyes burn into the back of his head as he stood at the deli counter. He glanced over his shoulder to see two elderly Shadowhunters whispering to one another while they looked at him. He couldn’t help but let out a heavy sigh as he slid coins across the countertop towards the cashier.

“Don’t mind them,” the cashier said waving her hands dismissively, “some Shadowhunters never get out of Idris. They become so stale their brains start to rot.” She said the last bit loudly and Magnus heard a scoff behind him and then the chiming of the shopkeeper’s bell as the gossiping Shadowhunters left in a huff.

“You didn’t have to do that. Now you’ve lost customers.”

“Oh please, they will be back. I have the best coffee in Alicante, and they know it.” Shereen Chere gave Magnus a warm smile and his shoulders relaxed.

“Thank you for your kindness, when the magic restrictions are lifted, I will still come by here and relish your brew.”

“Speaking of which, any news of when that might happen?”

“Annoyingly, no. They’ve been upgrading the Demon Towers for over a week now.”

“And why exactly can’t you use magic?”

“According to the Iron Sisters it messes with the signals. No magic is allowed in Alicante until they’re done with the upgrade,” Magnus said, rolling his eyes. “Thanks for the coffee Shereen.”

Magnus waved and stepped out onto a narrow cobblestone street. The buildings in Alicante were a mixture of common European architectural styles. They were tightly stacked against one another, with timber frames and gables draped with colourful flowers. It was a crisp autumn morning, but the sun felt warm across Magnus’ face. It was still early, and few people were out and about. He made his way up the winding street to his apartment, which was perfectly located on the highest hill in town, overlooking the ancient city. Glancing back Magnus could see hundreds of chimneys scattered across red slate rooftops, puffing little tendrils of smoke as homes began to wake up.

Since he and Alec had moved there, Alec had been appointed as the new Inquisitor and Magnus, the first ever High Warlock of Alicante. The Inquisitor is a well-established position; however, Magnus found the role of High Warlock less well defined. There were plenty of out-dated laws about magic that he needed to be navigated. Magnus had only recently started forming a client base of open-minded Shadowhunters who needed the services of a highly skilled warlock. That was until a week ago, when the Demon Towers began displaying sporadic power surges and short periods of complete shutdown. The city went into panic and the Iron Sisters were called in. The Demon Towers connect to the adamas veins that run beneath all of Idris and the Iron Sisters, the foremost experts in adamas, were summoned to investigate the issue. Magnus, to his great annoyance, was given strict orders not to interfere. So, while Alec had his hands full with work responsibilities, Magnus found himself bored and restless, waiting for instructions from the Clave.

Entering his apartment, Magnus found Alec out on the balcony, shirtless with a towel around his waist. He was leaning against the railing, looking over the edge. Magnus couldn’t help but admire his husbands broad, muscular shoulders and tiny waist. The curving Shadowhunter runes that covered his body looked like intricate artwork decorating his agile form. Magnus quietly set the breakfast down and softly crept up behind him preparing to pounce. Alec, sensing that he was being hunted, spun around seconds before the attack, grabbing Magnus at the shoulders. Magnus yelped in surprise.

“Hah!” Alec laughed out loud. “I got you! For once, I got YOU!”

“It’s not THAT funny,” Magnus grumbled, his heart still beating fast. At least he made his husband happy, even at his own expense. He watched Alec saunter off, as if he had just won first prize in a competition.

“Shereen’s coffee and croissants!” Alec had discovered Magnus’s spoils on the dining table.

“That’s one benefit of being without magic in Alicante, at least the coffee and croissants are still good. Last time I was rendered useless, the New York coffee tasted like Mordor water!”

“Magnus, you’re never useless,” Alec’s scolded as he took a bite of a croissant and headed to the room to get ready for work, “and what’s Mordor?”

“Nobody your age should ever ask that question. Looks like we’re doing a Lord of the Rings Marathon this weekend.” Magnus followed Alec to the room. He leaned against the door frame, sipped his coffee and watched Alec get dressed. He wished his gorgeous Shadowhunter didn’t have to go to work.

“Lord of the Rings? Sounds like pornography.”

Magnus nearly choked on his coffee as he snickered. Magnus was enjoying this playful side of Alec. Just when he thought he knew everything about his husband, he discovered a whole new side of him and fell in love all over again.

“I’m just teasing, I’ve heard Simon talk about those movies incessantly.” Buttoning the lapels of his navy-blue shirt, he walked over and kissed Magnus gently on the lips. Magnus’ heart fluttered.

“Perfect, let’s lock ourselves away for the weekend. You, me and the extended edition on blue ray.”

“I am ready to be cultured,” Alec replied teasingly. “So, what are you doing today? I heard there is an art exhibition at the gallery, why don’t you go check it out?” Alec turned to grab his briefcase and jacket while he spoke.

“Why? To add to the exhibit as a live walking freak show for retired Shadowhunters? No thank you. I’m going to speak to the Iron Sisters. See if I can help speed up their work on the Demon Towers. They said it would take a week at the most, but it’s already been eight days!”

“Those old Shadowhunters will get used to seeing Downworlders around here eventually. Just ignore the old prudes.” Alec’s voice became muffled as he stuffed the rest of the croissant into his mouth, “Goo uck with the Iron Shisters.”

“See you later Alexander.” Magnus blew a kiss and watched Alec rush out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Alec arrived home later that night than anticipated. He had vastly underestimated the amount of admin required as the newly appointed Inquisitor. To add, there were new laws concerning Downworlders and he found himself pouring over legislation and attending endless debates over amendments to acts that were as old as Alicante itself. He had a mammoth task ahead of him, but regardless of the workload Alec felt the happiest he had ever felt in his life. Every day he felt excited to come home. Excited to see his warlocks beautiful face, to kiss his soft lips, to spend the evenings making food, drinking wine and laughing until their stomachs ached. He entered his and Magnus’ apartment whistling cheerfully. He dropped his briefcase on a chair near the door and undid his tie.

“Magnus?” Alec called out, “Magnus?” Alec walked from room to room to find an empty apartment. He immediately dialled Magnus’ number. It went straight to voice mail. Alec felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something was wrong. Whilst standing in the center of the living room, he noticed flashing lights coming from outside. Drawing the curtains aside, he could clearly see the Demon Towers, flicking between red, gold and blue. Alec opened the terrace door and went to look over the railing. Shadowhunters were gathering in the streets below pointing to the towers, looking confused and worried. He heard someone yell that all able bodied Shadowhunters were to go to the Gard immediately. Alec thought about his conversation with Magnus that morning. How Magnus had said he wanted to go to the Iron Sisters. He felt his body go cold. Alec rushed back inside and grabbed his bow, quiver and a seraph blade. His hands were shaking while he put on his gear. _Please be safe Magnus._ Alec activated his speed and agility runes and made a dash for the Gard.


	3. Chapter 3

Magnus descended the narrow, spiralling staircase into the catacombs that lay below the Gard. The stairs were poorly lit, with witchlight lamps only every few meters. Magnus had been told that the Iron Sisters were working along the veins of adamas beneath the Demon Towers and that the catacombs of Alicante famously extended alongside these veins. After what felt like an age, Magnus exited into a large chamber. Again, the room was poorly lit, and he wished he could just conjure up light using magic. He restrained himself and instead pulled out a zipper lighter, a compass and map of the catacombs. The catacombs were immense, filled with the bodies of thousands of Shadowhunters from thousands of years past. They extended far beneath the city, starting in the main chamber directly beneath the Gard and branching into increasingly narrow rooms and corridors. Some Shadowhunters believed the spirits of their dead protected the roots of the Demon Towers, although as far as Magnus knew that was only a myth and secretly hoped he wouldn’t run into any ghosts. Magnus had heard from the soldiers at the Gard that the Iron Sisters were working in the eastern passageways today, so he set out following the map east.

The main chamber hall was damp and cold and the ceiling so high that the light couldn’t reach it. He walked among rows of stone-carved tombs, so old they looked like they would crumble if touched. His footsteps echoed loudly, no-matter how carefully he stepped. Every so often, out of the corner of his eye, Magnus would notice something scurry away. The place gave him the creeps. After some time, Magnus reached the east end of the chamber and the beginning of four branching corridors, which led to the roots of the four eastern towers. Magnus could see a slight sparkle of adamas in the wall as he approached the nearest passage. He decided he would investigate one passage at a time, and he took the corridor closest to him first. The passage became narrower as he walked, and his sense of claustrophobia increased as he was led deeper underground. The air started to become warm and humid and Magnus stopped a moment to remove the scarf from his neck. Suddenly, he heard a sound. He stood in silence, holding his breath. He heard the noise again, is sounded like a whimper.

“Hello? Who is there?” The whimper turned into groans and sobs and he took off running at full speed in the direction of the sound. He heard a splash as he ran through something wet and he skidded to a halt nearly slipping. He held the zipper light near the ground. It was blood. He was standing in a pool of blood. Slowing looking up he saw the dead bodies of Iron Sisters. He put his hand to his mouth stifling a cry. He noticed one of the bodies was quivering and let out a groan. He rushed to her side. The Iron Sister had a deep gash across her throat with blood bubbling out. Magnus no longer cared about magic restrictions and began conjuring a healing spell.

“D…don’t. He…he will find you,” whispered the Iron Sister. She lifted a weak arm and grabbed Magnus’s hand.

“Who will find me? What happened here?”

“B…Beelzebub.” The Iron Sister began to gargle, and blood spilled out her mouth and her eyes rolled back in her head. Magnus felt his head swim as her words echoed, _Beelzebub_. Satan himself. Magnus suddenly felt overwhelmed with the feeling of dread. Trying to compose himself, he stumbled to his feet, taking deep breaths through his mouth so he couldn’t smell the heavy stench of death. An earth-shattering roar came from behind him. Magnus had encountered many demons and princes of hell in his life, but never had he heard such a formidable sound. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. The roar sounded again, and he heard the beating of heavy steps as something approached him. He turned and ran deeper into the tunnel.


	4. Chapter 4

Beelzebub, Dark Lord Satan, Lucifer, the King of Hell himself, was a powerful and menacing being. Nobody had seen him for thousands of years. In Magnus’ long life he had hardly heard the mention of his name. Beelzebub had become a legend, a tale the Edomites would tell their offspring. _What is the King of Hell doing in the catacombs of Alicante?_

Magnus had reached a cul de sac at the end of the tunnel and was nearly blinded by the white glow of the adamas root. Magnus could not get close to it or else his own demon blood would begin to boil. He couldn’t imagine Beelzebub coming near the adamas root either, but the thought did little to comfort him. He was certain that if he came face to face with the King of Hell, his magic wouldn’t stand a chance. He could, however, create to portal. It was pointless trying to conceal his magical energy any longer. Beelzebub had already detected him.

His gaze followed the adamas root from the ground, up through the ceiling. It appeared to have pushed through the rock itself. Magnus, feeling slightly calmer, began to slowly walk around the adamas root, his hand holding his chin. He needed to warn the Shadowhunters immediately. Magnus took a few steps back and hit the root with a powerful surge of magic that burst from his hands. He watched the silver, translucent adamas begin to change colour. Red to gold to blue, it flashed. He knew the Demon Towers above would be doing the same. The Shadowhunters will know something is very wrong, his dear Alexander will know something is wrong. Magnus turned to face the rock wall, twisting his hands gracefully he started to summon a portal. Suddenly, he heard a deep raspy cackle come from the dark of the tunnel behind him. The half-formed portal snapped closed. Magnus felt his stomach sink. He quickly repeated the spell, but the portal would not form. 

“Well well well, a child of Edom, in Alicante. How my own kind has fallen far from grace. Truly despicable.”

Magnus stood as close to the adamas root as possible and stared into the darkness. He saw a shadow move and two large yellow eyes appeared.

“Stay away Beelzebub. I’m warning you.”

“Warning me?” Beelzebub burst into; what Magnus presumed was laughter

Beelzebub finally emerged from the shadows. It was the most terrifying sight Magnus had ever seen. The devil stood so tall he was hunched over in the tunnel. His limbs were impossibly long with charred black skin and thick throbbing veins spreading across his body. Large yellow orbs for eyes were sunken deep into a reptilian skull with an overly large gapping mouth filled with serrated teeth, turning upwards into a sickening smile. Upon the crown of his head were a set of beastly horns.

Magnus hurriedly muttered a defence incantation, but nothing materialized.

“Problem with your magic little warlock?” sneered Beelzebub, saliva dripping at Magnus’ feet. “Bow down to me, pledge yourself to me, serve me and maybe I will let you live.”

Horrified, Magnus thought that he would rather throw himself onto the adamas root before becoming a slave to the Devil. Maybe at another time in his life he would have done just that. But there was another part to his life now. The joyous, beautiful, fascinating part that was Alexander Lightwood. He knew that Alec and the other Shadowhunters would be on their way. He just needed to buy some time. 

“How are you even here Beelzebub? I am only half demon and even I can’t bear to be too close to the adamas. What could you possibly want in the Shadowhunters catacombs?”

Beelzebub laughed again and with one long spidery arm grabbed Magnus’ leg out from beneath him, causing him to fall backwards. His head impacted the hard-stone floor with such force that he was immediately knocked out cold. Beelzebub turned briskly and headed back down the passageway, dragging an unconscious and bleeding Magnus behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

When Alec arrived at the Gard, he quickly saw that all chaos had broken loose. Shadowhunters were running back and forth arming themselves with weapons and arguing over battle tactics. Alec saw the Consul, Jia Penhallow, looking ready to ascend the podium and he rushed to intercept her.

“Jia, what’s happening? Have you seen Magnus? He told me that he was going see the Iron Sisters today.”

Jia shook her head. She had a look in her eyes that Alec had never seen before, and it truly frightened him.

“The guards found an Iron Sister, she had crawled all the way up from the catacombs, both her legs had been torn from her body. By the time they found her she had already bled to death. The attack…looks demonic.”

The blood drained from Alec’s face, “how is this possible?”

“I don’t know.” We are sending our top soldiers into the catacombs.”

“I am going with.”

“You’re the Inquisitor now Alec, you can’t go.”

“Magnus is down there Jia, I am going!” Alec stared at her defiantly. He needed to be firm and convincing. He couldn’t let her know how panicked he really felt. 

“We don’t know what’s happening down there Alec, you need to be careful. We have never had any demon enter our most sacred place. I don’t know what to think or what to expect.” With that Jia took the podium and began the call for the best Shadowhunter soldiers to rally. There would be teams heading to each cardinal zone of the catacombs. The Iron Sisters were last known to be working in the eastern passageways. Survivors must be found and evacuated, and the roots of the Demon Towers were to be defended at all costs. When she told the Shadowhunters to keep a look out for Magnus Bane, Alec felt a lump rising in his throat. A hand grabbed onto his shoulder and he turned around to see Jace. He instinctively embraced him.

“I just portaled in from New York. Alec, what happened? I can sense your worry” Jace spoke gently into Alec’s ear.

“Magnus is in the catacombs Jace, he went in there alone.” Alec’s voice broke as he spoke. He couldn’t believe that this was happening. They were supposed to be in the safest place in the world. He had promised Magnus a safe, peaceful life here. He should have paid more attention to the problem with the Demon Towers. He was a selfish fool.

Jace could tell by the look in Alec’s eyes that he was already thinking of the worst-case scenarios. “I am here my brother!” Jace squeezed Alec’s arm, “let’s go get him.”


	6. Chapter 6

Alec and Jace joined a group of six other Shadowhunters that were tasked with investigating the eastern passageways. As they entered the main chamber Jace immediately pulled out his witchlight.

“Why is it so dark down here?” One of the other Shadowhunters muttered.

“The lamps have all been removed,” observed Jace, as he examined one of the niches on the wall. The rest of the Shadowhunters took out their own witchlights and the group immediately started heading east. Alec could hear distant footsteps and hushed voices of the other soldiers that headed in opposite directions. Their team was quiet. Alec felt like he could slice the tension in the air with his blade.

As they walked across the huge chamber he couldn’t stop thinking about Magnus. Where was he? Was he safe? Did he befall the same fate as the maimed Iron Sister found in the Gard? With that final thought Alec walked directly into one of the stone tombs with an agonizing thud.

“Argh!” Alec howled in pain, “aren’t these tombs supposed to be organized into rows or something,” he said, rubbing his knee.

“They are.” Jace had backtracked to Alec. “This one is out of place. Alec, look, it’s been opened.”

Alec held up his light. Jace was right. The lid of the tomb was sitting ajar.

Jace peered inside, “Alec, there is nothing in here.”

“This one is open too,” one of their team called out.

“Here too, they are empty.”

“Oh, Lycanthrope on a stick!” moaned Jace. “Are you telling me someone has stolen the corpses of long dead Shadowhunters?”

“Whatever is happening down here, it’s worse than we thought. We need to hurry.” Alec broke into a sprint. The others followed on his heels.


	7. Chapter 7

Magnus lay on his back in a field of bright yellow canola flowers, watching wispy white clouds hurry across the blue sky. He felt the strong, but gentle wind, tussle his hair and the stems around him.

“Well, that one looks like Church, don’t you think? You see, over there, with the grumpy face.” Magnus heard the sweet ring of Alec’s laughter. He turned his head to the right to see Alec lying next to him. His dimples deep set in his cheeks as he grinned wildly, pointing to the sky. He turned to look at Magnus.

“Where are we Magnus?” he asked simply.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Magnus smiled and reached out to touch Alec’s cheek. Alec turned onto his side to face him.

“Magnus, promise me that you will come find me.”

“What are you talking about? I’m with you right now.”

“Promise me Magnus, promise me!” Alec’s smile was gone, his eye widened as the clouds above them turned grey, the sky quickly darkening.

“Alexander, I promise. Of course, I promise.”

The sky turned black and simultaneously Magnus felt a swift kick to the gut. He rolled onto his side clutching his stomach.

“Shut up worm! Quit your whingeing”

Magnus slowly opened his eyes. Ripped from his peaceful dream, he felt his entire body ache. His vision was blurred. He forced himself to sit up and orientate himself. He was sitting on a cold stone floor with something tall looming over him. As his eyes adjusted to the low light and his body froze as he recognized the horrifying creature before him. Beelzebub. Magnus glanced around the room. He was clearly still somewhere within the catacombs. There was not a flowery field in sight. Magnus groaned and touch the back of his head. His hair was sticky and damp with his own blood. Beelzebub had started pacing before him. Muttering in a demon language unfamiliar to Magnus.

“What…do…you want?” Magnus sputtered in exasperation. Beelzebub stopped and looked down at Magnus with surprise. Almost as if he had forgot about him for a second.

“A slave does not talk without permission,” growled Beelzebub dismissively and went back to muttering and pointing. Magnus’ gaze followed the direction of Beelzebub’s long talon-like finger. Standing before them were rows upon rows of skeletons. Hundreds, maybe thousands. They stood tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder, inanimate, but battle ready. Magnus looked around the large chamber room. He couldn’t remember seeing such a large room on the map, other than the main chamber hall. Magnus scrambled to his feet. As he stood up, he heard the clinking sound of metal. He looked down to see his left ankle had a thick metal clasp around it connected to a long chain, which, to his horror, was connected to Beelzebub’s wrist.

“Alright warlock, I’ve got what I’ve come for.” Beelzebub yanked at the chain and Magnus once again fell backwards, knocking his head for the second time. “No doubt the earthling Nephilim are scurrying around like cockroaches trying to figure out what has happened. I can smell them in the tunnels already”

Magnus, feeling delirious, attempted one last time to cast a spell, but with no avail. Beelzebub had blocked his magic entirely. Magnus was still lying on his back when he realized he was being dragged along the floor. He forced his eyes open as his entire body was lifted from the ground. Beelzebub, standing at full height, was at least 6 meters tall. Using one sharp talon at the end of a boney finger, he ripped Magnus’ shirt with one clean swipe. The tip of his nail made a surgically sharp slice right down Magnus’ torso. Magnus felt the blood run from his navel, down his chest and alongside his neck and drip onto the floor below him. He felt like hunk of meat hanging in a butchery. _So, this is it. This is how I die then. At least they can say it took the King of Hell to kill me._ Magnus thought bitterly.

Beelzebub was watching Magnus with intrigue, as he swayed gently in the air. Eventually, using his free hand, he dipped a finger into the growing pool of Magnus blood and drew a large pentagram on the ground. All while keeping Magnus suspended in the air. Beelzebub turned back to Magnus and looked at him curiously.

“Well, I don’t want my warlock to bleed out just yet. The fun is only beginning.”

Beelzebub opened his gaping mouth revealing rows and rows of teeth that reached all the way down the back of its throat. A long red tongue emerged from the cavity. Like a cobra slithering out of a snake-charmers pot. Beelzebub ran his tongue down the wound on Magnus’ chest. Slowly, purposely and with enjoyment. Magnus felt it moving along his torso, down his neck, around his face. Magnus tried to lift his arms, but the blood loss had weakened him. He was at the Devils mercy. Magnus drifted in and out of consciousness until he was dropped back to floor. Beelzebub attached the end of the chain around a large, ragged slice of rock. He looked over Magnus once more before stalking away.

Magnus slowly opened his eyes. He raised his head with effort and looked down at his chest. The wound had begun to heal itself. Magnus feeling giddy, high from the satanic saliva bath, managed to prop himself up enough to see Beelzebub standing before the pentagram, reciting incantations in the foreign demon language. The pentagram began to sink into the ground, revealing a large, shimmering portal. Beelzebub barked instructions at the army of skeletons, which suddenly came to life and began to march toward the hole in the ground.

“Where are you sending them?” Magnus choked out, despite his desire to remain unnoticed by the Devil.

“I am sending them to war, where else would I send an army? Silly little warlock.” Beelzebub looked back towards Magnus, who had pulled himself up to sitting position. “But you will see soon my little plaything. I think you will quite like it. Demon blooded creatures always have a pension for the macabre.”

It was in that moment that Magnus remembered his dream of Alec. He saw the Shadowhunter’s face before him. His brown eyes and jet-black hair. His sharp jawline and plump lips. _Promise me that you will come find me_. Magnus realized that if he went through that portal, he would never see the love of his life again.

Magnus, feeling a bit better than moments before, gaged the situation around him. The portal was not very large and only ten or fifteen skeletons were going through at a time. Beelzebub was distracted, hurrying some of the slower moving, disoriented creatures along. There was still time to escape.

“The dead are awfully stupid.” Magnus heard Beelzebub mutter.

Magnus examined the clasp on his leg. It was old fashioned kind of lock that required a key _._ Magnus felt a wave of hope rush over him. He careful rose to his feet and removed a thin silver bracelet from his arm. Placing it strategically beneath his boot, he crushed it. With some effort he further bent the bracelet and was able to stick one end into the keyhole. Magnus knew his talent for lock picking would come into use eventually. 


	8. Chapter 8

At the entrance to the eastern passageways the Shadowhunters split up to cover ground. Alec and Jace took the first corridor. They hadn’t walked far before they found Magnus’ scarf. It wasn’t hard to miss. The green piece of material looked as if it was glowing in contrast to the dull, dark-grey rock that surrounded them. _Just like Magnus._ Alec buried his face in the soft fabric, smelling Magnus’ cologne. _Where are you Magnus?_ Jace, who had jogged ahead, called out for Alec to hurry. Nothing could have prepared Alec for the massacre that lay ahead.

“Alec, this is not a normal demon attack,” said Jace sombrely as he checked the pulses of the Iron Sisters. He shook his head and stood to face Alec. “Their wounds are massive, ergo, the creature that did this must be huge.”

“And powerful. The Iron Sisters aren’t easy to defeat,” Alec felt his voice catch in his throat. “I’m going to track Magnus with his scarf. He can’t be far.”

With the tracking rune activated Alec and Jace soon found that they were also following a blood trail along the ground. The trail led back down the passageway, took a sharp left turn and then came to a stop, disappearing into the rock face. Alec leaned hard against the wall, but it didn’t give way. Jace tried an opening rune, but nothing happened.

“The tracking runes indicates that Magnus is behind this wall. But how to we get in?” Alec muttered stuffing the green scarf into his pocket. He and Jace ran their hands along the wall, feeling for levers or buttons.

“Aaargh, by the Angel, I will tear this wall down with my bear hands if I must,” Alec growled in frustration. He grabbed his seraph blade from its sheath and began furiously hacking at the wall. Sparks flew with each slash.

“Alec, wait! I found something!” Jace had been examining the opposite wall. Alec turned to watch Jace push a lose rock. There was a scraping sound and the floor gave away beneath them.


	9. Chapter 9

Magnus watched Beelzebub warily out of the corner of his eye. The last of the skeleton army was disappearing into the portal and Beelzebub was pacing back and forth impatiently. Magnus, still fumbling with the lock, heard a small click and felt something move inside the mechanism. The clasp had finally come undone. The witchlight in the chamber was dim, but he could see that Beelzebub’s back was toward him. He slipped his ankle out of the clasp as quietly as possible and rose to his feet. He looked around him. The corners of the chamber were enveloped in shadows and he couldn’t make out if there were any exits. However, if there was a way in, then there had to be a way out.

Magnus began to edge towards the wall behind him, keeping a watchful eye on Beelzebub’s back. Gaining in confidence he sped up, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows and stepping as lightly as possible. The room was irregularly shaped, more like a cave then a man-made room. Magnus slipped behind a large boulder at the far end of the chamber. It was there that he could make out a narrow opening in the wall. He stepped into a tunnel only to be faced with a steep incline of rock. In the darkness, he started to climb. Behind him, he heard a roar.

“WARLOCK! WHERE IS MY WARLOCK?”

Magnus began to climb faster, reaching blindly for hand- and foots-holds. Scrambling in panic. Suddenly he heard noise erupt from above him. Before he had any time to react, he was knocked down the tunnel by tumbling bodies. Magnus landed on his back. He felt a warm heavy weight against him. A familiar weight. His eyes shot open and his gaze was met by Alec’s. Alec’s eyes were wide, his face centimeters away from Magnus’.

“Magnus,” Alec said breathlessly, his eyes shone with tears. “You’re alive. Oh, thank the Angel, your alive.” Magnus stared up at his Shadowhunter’s beautiful face. He felt overwhelmed with love, relief and fear.

“Alexander,” the word barely escaped him, his throat hoarse and dry. Alec pushed himself upwards, sitting on his knees looking down at Magnus, noticing his bare chest and the fresh scar running down his torso. Even in the darkness Magnus could see the expression on Alec’s face tighten with anger.

“WARLOCK,” boomed an enraged voice. Alec grabbed Magnus’ hand and helped him to his feet. Jace had emerged from the dark, his seraph blade pointed at the ready.

“It’s Beelzebub, the King of Hell, “Magnus said softly, the fear evident by his shaking voice.

Alec knocked an arrow in his bow with a swiftness only achievable by a speed rune. The three turned to face Beelzebub. He towered over them. Teeth baring, he looked infuriated. Alec sent an arrow flying towards Beelzebub’s head. The Devil snatched the arrow out of the air with lightning speed. Magnus hadn’t noticed Jace move until he suddenly jumped out from behind Beelzebub, bringing his seraph blade down onto his arm. Beelzebub howled as the limb was severed, black ichor spraying violently. Beelzebub’s yellow eyes began to glow red. The veins across his body became engorged and his body began to swell in size. With a roar Beelzebub used his other arm to deliver a full body punch to Jace’s stomach. Jace was knocked off his feet and flew across the chamber. Magnus saw him land near the pentagram. He also noticed that there was no undead left in the room. They had all disappeared through the portal. Within seconds Alec shot a series of arrows into Beelzebub’s back. He turned, growling, towards Magnus and Alec, seemingly unaffected. Magnus stared in horror as Beelzebub’s severed arm began to grow back. Beelzebub jerked his head toward the portal, then back towards Magnus. Beelzebub’s eyes locked with his. Saliva was dripping from its mouth.

“My… warlock,” his said, panting, his tongue flickering out of his mouth. He began to lumber at full speed towards Magnus. Alec pulled out his seraph blade and made a motion to run at the beast head on, but Magnus grabbed his arm and stepped in front of him.

“Stop, Beelzebub! If you want to kill him, you will have to kill me first.” Magnus spoke loudly and calmly. Beelzebub stopped before them, towering over Magnus and Alec. His head cocked slightly.

“I will come with you willingly, just leave these Shadowhunters unharmed.” Magnus spoke with a commanding tone. Sacrificing himself for Alec came so naturally, he didn’t think of it twice.

“Magnus, no!” Alex shouted from behind him.

Beelzebub let out a roaring laugh. “Warlock, you surprise me. Oh, the things I am going to do to you.” Beelzebub grabbed Magnus around the waist and lifted him up to his face. Magnus could hear Alec shouting something, but he didn’t know what. He felt Beelzebub breathing heavily against him. His breath smelt of rotten flesh. “A warlock plaything all for myself.” Beelzebub turned and ran towards the closing portal. Magnus was aware of arrows slamming into Beelzebub’s body and Jace running at their heels. Beelzebub took a dramatic leap and the portal shut behind them.


	10. Chapter 10

Alec was kneeling on the ground, beside the pentagram engraved with Magnus’ blood. There were Shadowhunters bustling all about him. Alec could hear Jace speaking to several people, recounting the events of the last hour. Alec felt as if he were in a dream. That none of this was actually happening and that he would wake up any moment to Magnus bringing him coffee in bed. He suddenly felt a hand on his back and turned to see his sister. Isabelle dropped to her haunches and flung her arms around Alec’s neck.

“Big brother, I am so sorry. I wish I had come sooner. Are you ok?” Isabelle leaned back, searching Alec for injuries.

“I’m fine Izzy. I just…don’t know what to do. He agreed to go with Beelzebub, through a portal, to the Angel knows where. And worst of all, it seemed like his magic wasn’t working. He can’t even defend himself!”

Isabelle bit her bottom lip, frowning at the pentagram.

“I brought someone with me that might be able to help,” Isabelle said as she coxed Alec to his feet. “If anyone will know what to do, it will be Tessa.” Isabelle gestured towards a tall girl with brown hair talking to Jace. Tessa looked towards Isabelle and Alec, and quickly hurried over with Jace at her side.

“Alec, I am so sorry this has happened. But we need to act now, and we need to act fast. Every minute counts as we do not know if there is time dilation in the dimension that Beelzebub took Magnus.” Tessa looked so young, but Alec remembered that she was over one hundred years old and he could hear the wisdom in her voice. “This chamber has never been discovered by Shadowhunters, but it appears that it has been used for centuries. There is evidence of older pentagrams all over the floors. I think Beelzebub has been visiting for a long time, sneaking into the catacombs, doing God knows what. Something must have happened for him to draw such attention to himself by disturbing the demon towers, killing the Iron Sisters and of course, capturing Magnus.” Tessa spoke fast, her hands moving as she summarized what she knew. “Now, I am assuming that Magnus was with Beelzebub when he summoned the portal. If you have an item of Magnus’, I can Change into him and access his most recent memories. Hopefully the incantation will be clear enough for me to repeat it. Then we can reopen the portal as soon as possible, while the blood is still wet”

Alec had heard of Tessa’s shape-shifting ability, but he had never witnessed it in action.

“Here, this is his, he dropped it in the catacombs.” Alec pulled Magnus’ green scarf from his pocket. “Hopefully it can help.”

“This is perfect.” Tessa’s big grey eyes looked kind and sympathetic. “Now quickly gather the other Shadowhunters, I am not sure how long the portal will stay open for.”

Tessa held the scarf between her hands and closed her eyes. Alec watched in amazement to see her change into Magnus. Alec placed two fingers between his lips and let out a loud whistle. Several Shadowhunters turned to face him.

“Prepare yourselves for battle, we are going to open the portal, reclaim our dead and retrieve the High Warlock. Be ready to receive instructions.” The feeling of despair in his chest was replaced with rage and an overwhelming urge for revenge. No demon or deity dare defile their sacred tombs and capture the one he so loved. Alec’s cheeks flushed as he clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth.

Tessa, as Magnus, had turned to face the portal and began to recite an incantation. The demon language sounded ancient and unknown. Soon the ground beneath the pentagram began to fall away and dark gaping hole appeared on the floor. Alec, Isabelle, Jace and their team of Shadowhunters gathered around the portal.

“Well, it’s not like we haven’t travelled to another dimension before,” Jace laughed nervously. “Tessa, do you think you can keep the portal open long enough for our return?”

“I will try my best. Please hurry.”

“Ok, everyone, lets stick together. When we encounter Beelzebub, we must take him down as quickly as possible. But nobody is to act alone. He is extremely strong and has regenerative abilities. So, our best bet is to hit it with all we’ve got and all at once.” Alec had full command of the Shadowhunter army. His voice sounded sure and confident and grew louder with each word. “Beelzebub came into our home, murdered our Iron Sisters, took our dead and captured our High Warlock. He threatened our safety and the safety of our families. He will pay for these crimes and all creatures of this world and other worlds will know that Shadowhunters will protect what is sacred at all costs!” The Shadowhunters cheered, raising their weapons in unison. Alec took the first step and disappeared into the portal; the rest followed.


	11. Chapter 11

Three days had passed since Magnus had been taken by Beelzebub. They had entered a dimension that Magnus had never heard of before and he soon realized they were on a different planet altogether. The world was lush and green, with trees the size of skyscrapers and mushrooms as big as cars. In the sky hung three small moons which provided enough light to travel by night. Beelzebub marched them through a dense forest with Magnus re-attached to a chain. This time the clasp was fixed around Magnus’ hands. Magnus was exhausted, constantly having to jog to keep up or risk being dragged along the rocky ground. The skeleton army would never tire, so Magnus suspected any breaks they took was for him alone. During the long hours of walking, Magnus started to speak more frequently with Beelzebub. He got the sense that Beelzebub was seeking companionship, and as horrified as he was at the thought of being coupled with the thing, he tried to extract as much information as possible. The more he knew, the better his chances to figure out a way to escape. At first Beelzebub would answer Magnus’ questions in grunts and occasionally he would yank the chain causing Magnus to face-plant into the ground. But Magnus, ever determined, eventually managed to get the Devil to talk.

Beelzebub had become increasingly frustrated with the other monarchs of Hell and decided to find a new world to rule on his own. He had laid claim to this planet, named Urual, several hundred years ago. When Beelzebub first arrived, he found that the inhabitants of the planet were docile, and its leaders were easily overthrown. But as the years went by, small resistant factions began to rise. That’s when Beelzebub started making trips to the Shadowhunter catacombs on Earth. He would reanimate a few soldiers at a time and take them back to Urual. Undead Shadowhunters were exceptionally strong and virtually indestructible and the resistance groups were quickly quelled. Torturing and terrorizing the Urualese once again became his favourite pastime. He was a happy Devil, that was until the local inhabitants rose up once again. This time setting off explosions strategically buried around the kingdom and killing his undead soldiers. Beelzebub had been taken by surprise. He had underestimated the intelligence of the humanoids that lived here. Having severed all of his connections with the rest of the Underworld, he couldn’t ask for help, so he decided to go back to Alicante to gather the rest of the Shadowhunter corpses. He had not expected to find the catacombs crawling with Iron Sisters and Magnus.

After the third day of walking, at dusk, Magnus, Beelzebub and the skeleton army reached the top of a hill rise. They looked down upon what appeared to be a small town. Little lights shining from dome structures made Magnus realize they were looking down at hundreds of homes.

“Tomorrow, we will remind these ungrateful peasants who their King is,” growled Beelzebub, the corner of his mouth pulling as if he were sneering. Magnus stood silently by his side, wondering what his part would be in all of this.

“I can help, if you let me use my magic,” Magnus lied, forcing his voice to sound as sweet and innocent.

“Please, I don’t need your magic, Warlock. Look at the army behind us. They are more than enough to crush the Urualese.”

“Then, why did you bring me here?” Magnus asked softly. He immediately regretted it as Beelzebub look down at him.

“I do not like the Urualese. Actually, they revolt me. You, on the other hand, remind me somewhat of home. Of a time when I ruled over Hell and had dominion of Earth.” Beelzebub looked toward the horizon, across the valley, over the hundreds of little domed houses. “We will strike at dawn.” The skeleton army stood neatly and obediently in rows along the hill slope. Beezlebub tugged on Magnus’ leash and led him over to a wide stream and he promptly dropped himself in. “Join me Warlock. You are filthy”

Magnus looked down at himself. He was still shirtless, wearing nothing but trousers and the boots he had entered the crypt in. He was covered in a thick layer of brown dirt. He kicked off his shoes and stumbled into the stream. The water was surprisingly warm, soothing his aching muscles. Magnus couldn’t help himself and let out a long sigh. Beelzebub chuckled and leaned over and began to rub his back, washing the dirt from his body. Magnus was so exhausted, he didn’t even flinch. His hands were still cuffed so it wasn’t like he could wash himself anyway. The Devil gently rubbed Magnus arms with his large, creaturely hands. _This feels so good_ , Magnus thought guiltily. Magnus began to drift to sleep, the fatigue finely catching up to him. The last thing he remembered was Beelzebub pulling him closer.

\--

Magnus woke many hours later. He found himself wrapped in a soft type of moss. The moons were high in the sky casting a dim cool light across the landscape. Magnus heard the soft trickle of the stream and he sat up quickly. Beelzebub lay beside him, also on a soft bed of moss, he was snoring softly. Before, just the sight of Beelzebub made him want to gag. Magnus could not think of a more revolting creature. But now, while he slept, Magnus thought he looked strong and powerful. His muscles bulging, his reptilian features fascinating. Magnus shook his head. _What the hell am I thinking?_ He looked down at his hands only to see that he had been uncuffed. The joy of freedom fluttered in his heart. He glanced around at the thick forest around him. Even if he were to run away now, he had no idea where he would go. What he would do. He was on another planet in an alternative dimension. Beelzebub stirred next to him and his eyes flickered open. Magnus looked down at the Devil nervously. Beelzebub put his arm around Magnus waist and pulled him against his body. Holding him tightly, he covered him with the moss blanket.

“Shh…sleep my Warlock,” Beelzebub purred. Magnus found himself obeying and closed his eyes. He dreamed of the forest and of Beelzebub carrying him in his arms and he felt safe. 


	12. Chapter 12

Disoriented, Alec stumbled as he exited the portal. He put a hand to his head in a failed attempt to stop the world from spinning around him.

“Where are we?” Isabelle asked, gripping onto Alec’s arm while stabilizing herself.

“I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Jace said looking up at the three moons hanging in the nights sky.

“What?” Isabelle and Alec asked in unison.

“Ah, its quote from a movie I watched with Simon, never mind.” Jace looked around hastily, “But seriously, I think we are on another planet.”

Alec quickly took a head count of the everyone who had passed through the portal. They were a mere 20 Shadowhunters, in a foreign world with no real plan. They were surrounded by impossibly high trees and the air was warm and humid. Alec began to scan his surrounding and soon discovered that the churned-up dirt they stood on, was in fact skeletal footprints, which were headed towards a clearing in the trees.

“Well it looks like the undead army left quite a mess behind them. We can easily follow them on foot,” Alec said, pointing in the direction of the tracks.

“But you are at least three days behind them, how do you plan to catchup?” A strange mechanical sounding voice boomed from the shadows. Everyone turned around to see a tall, lanky, humanoid-type being step out from behind a large tree. Its skin was a pale green and it wore what looked like armour made from animal scales, leather and metal. It wore a helmet, which glittered gold in the moon light, with a thin face-bar that covered its mouth. Two large black eyes stared at them from behind the helmet. The humanoid had no discernible gender. “My name is Riel, and you are on my planet, Urual. I can see you are not of the same species as Beelzebub, but you have entered through his portal. So, what are you and what do you want here?” Riels voice was emitting from the mouth-bar of the helmet, which was clearly acting as type of translation device.

“My name is Alec. We are Shadowhunters, half human and half angel warriors from Planet Earth and we followed Beezlebub through this portal to kill him.” Alec walked towards Riel, his shoulders set squarely, and his hands clenched into fists. He had the look of a man afraid of nothing and ready to do anything to achieve his goal. “Beelzebub reanimated our dead to build an army and he captured someone very important to me. Where is he?”

Riel stared at them intently for a moment. Then turned around and made a sound like a whistle. A dozen Urualese stepped out of the shadows and came to stand behind Riel. They were all dressed similarly in armour, but their skin tones varied between every conceivable colour. They all had large black eyes that reflected eerily in the moonlight.

“Then we have the same mission. We also plan to kill Beelzebub,” Riel replied calmly, “but I am not about to let some Shadowbeings come and ruin everything.” Riel turned to the Urualese, “arrest them!” 

“Wait! We are on the same side. Let us help you!” Isabelle pleaded as she stepped up next to Alec.

“You say that Beelzebub made an army from your dead. It is YOUR dead that he has been bringing here for the last hundred years. To help him torture and kill us. How do we know we can trust you?”

“Beelzebub was once the King of Hell. He would terrorize humans on Earth too. Shadowhunters, like us, were literally created to fight this particular brand of evil. That’s why our undead are so strong. But they are also only undead, and they are under Beelzebub’s spell. Once the spell is broken, they will go back to being nothing but sacks of bones,” said Jace. He pulled his seraph blade from its sheath and laid it down in front of the Urualese in an act of peace. He motioned to the rest and to follow suit and everyone laid their weapons down.

One of the Urualese walked up to Riel and whispered something in their ear. Riel looked visibly concerned now and the others looked nervous.

“Fine, you can fight with us. But we will be watching you very closely. We have received intel that Beelzebub is planning to attack a village in the morning. Follow us, we have a quick way to get there,” Riel said beckoning with their hand.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” whispered Isabelle to Alec.

“Look, we are on a foreign planet, we have no idea where Beelzebub is or what his plans are. I think this is our best option for now,” Alec whispered back.

“Okay everyone, grab your weapons, let’s go,” Jace hollered.


	13. Chapter 13

Riel led the group to a nearby cave in the cliffside. At the entrance of the cave there were several Urualese standing guard. Riel spoke to them briefly in their native language before they were allowed to enter. The interior of the cave was well lit and bustling with armoured Urualese who were casting suspecting looks at the Shadowhunter’s. There were dozens of merchants, who appeared to be selling food and other unidentifiable items from carts and stalls. The lights in the room had a soft purple and blue tones and seemed to be powered by glowing crystals. Alec couldn’t help but think how excited Magnus would be to see all this strange alien technology. Suddenly a rumbling noise began to shake the whole room. Alec felt Isabelle stiffen at his side.

“What the….” Isabelle’s eyes widened with awe.

A large metal cube came hurtling into the room as if it were suspended in the air. Once it came to a halt Alec could see that it ran along rails that were attached to the walls of a large tunnel that entered the cave from the back. It made him think a type of metro underground. The silver cube had no windows, but a door at the base opened and a staircase was lowered to the floor. The Urualese quickly began to board the contraption.

“We developed this rail line hundreds of years ago. Beelzebub knows nothing about it,” Riel said proudly. It is how we have been staging our attacks. Come on we must hurry.” Riel guided the Shadowhunters on board. The interior of the cube was minimalistic. The walls shone of silver metal, scattered with small crystal powered lights. The only other fittings in the cube were rows of benches and some handrails. The Urualese and Shadowhunters were trying to stand as far apart from one another as possible. Both groups were glaring at one another sceptically. Riel stood among the Urualese and spoke to them for a few minutes before he switched to English with the translator.

“Beelzebub and his army have been spotted camping above the village of Shueal. There are only a few hundred inhabitants and they are not well armed. Beelzebub does not expect them to be getting any back-up. He thinks that they are an easy target. So, we have the advantage of surprise. Follow our lead and do not get in our way,” Riel said, their dark eyes glaring at the Shadowhunters. The cube suddenly jerked into motion and began motoring back down the tunnel.

“It will take several hours before we arrive,” said Riel as they came to sit next to Alec, “you said Beelzebub captured someone you care for. Who is it?”

Alec took a deep breath. So much had happened within the last few hours he suddenly felt like he had aged ten years. This morning he had been in his office, thinking about what to make for dinner, and now he was about to go into a battle on another planet.

“His name is Magnus. He…is my life partner.”

Riel looked at him, their large black eyes were softer than before, “I must warn you; Beelzebub may have already turned him.”

“Excuse me?”

“You do not know?” Riel shifted uncomfortably, “Beelzebub has captured many Urualese in the past. Our scientists believe he has the power to excrete a type of pheromone that make his abductees subordinate to him.”

“Like biological Stockholm Syndrome?” Isabelle had been listening to their conversation. Alec’s mouth dropped opened with shock.

“I do not know that term,” Riel said shaking their head, “but the victims begin to adore Beelzebub and never leave his side. Even when he casts them away, they never stop obsessing over him.”

Alec felt sick to his stomach. “Why does he do it? What does he want with them?”

“He uses them, for companionship, as servants, security guards, for sex, whatever he needs.”

Alec’s body went cold. If Riel had continued to talk, he didn’t hear him. Alec had never felt so much rage in his entire life. He was vaguely aware of Isabelle clutching his hand and telling him that Magnus would be alright. However, Alec could think of nothing more than how he wanted to tear Beelzebub apart. Limb by disgusting limb.


	14. Chapter 14

Magnus woke up feeling well rested. He sat up from his cozy moss bed and could smell something delicious cooking. He turned to see a small campfire with some sort of small animal roasting on a stick. Magnus’ stomach rumbled and he stood up eagerly. As the moss blanket fell away, he realized with shock that he was naked. His cheeks burned red. Looking around he saw his trousers neatly folded on the ground beside him. He grabbed them and hurriedly pulled them on. He walked over to the fire and looked hungrily at the meat cooking.

“Hungry, my little pet? Please, eat.” Magnus turned towards the sound of the voice and saw Beelzebub standing at the peak of the hill rise. He was tall and majestic, and Magnus felt his mouth drop open in awe. Beelzebub was the most beautiful creature he ever laid his eyes on. Beelzebub strolled down towards Magnus, grabbed the stick from the fire and handed it to him. Magnus felt honoured. “Eat little Warlock. You need your energy.”

Magnus’ head felt hazy. Sounds were sweeter; colours looked brighter and the food smelled phenomenal. He grinned giddily at Beelzebub and quickly devoured the food before him. Whatever it was, it was delicious. Beelzebub laugh and gently wiped some of the grease from Magnus’ chin.

“Follow me,” he said, beckoning Magnus up the hill. Upon the hillcrest, Magnus stared down at the village below them. The sun had just begun to rise, and the inhabitants of the houses were coming outside their homes to tend to their gardens and farm animals. In the shadow, at the base of the hill, he saw something else move. Just before the first fence line that bordered the village, the army of skeletons were rushing through the long grasses. “You woke up just in time to see me teach a very important lesson,” Beelzebub said proudly.

Magnus watched the skeletons break through the fence and he heard the screams of the villagers below. Magnus torn his eyes away. He didn’t like what he was witnessing, but he wasn’t sure why. He looked at Beelzebub and he felt immediate calmness overcome him. Beelzebub looked down at Magnus and smiled. He pulled Magnus tightly against his side and Magnus felt his whole-body melt as he was enveloped into a magical and mysterious warmth. He heard a soft whistling sound as something flew past his head. Then he heard the sound again, followed by a bellowing roar. His master picked him up and ran back down the hill towards the campfire. Magnus had no idea what was going on, but he could see an arrow sticking out from Beelzebub’s chest. The arrow was silver with red feathers and he didn’t know why, but it looked familiar.


	15. Chapter 15

Alec, Jace and Isabelle stumbled out of the silver “cube-mobile”, as Jace called it, feeling very woozy. Travelling in a moving object, without any windows, for several hours, had made most of the Shadowhunters very motion sick. The Urualese sniggered as a few Shadowhunters emptied their stomachs as soon as their feet hit the ground.

The cube had stopped in a similar looking cave as before, which held hundreds more armoured Urualese soldiers. They looked battle-ready and brutal, covered from head to toe in an assortment of different styles of armour, gleaming weapons strapped to their bodies. Riel quickly explained the presence of the Shadowhunters to the rest. Riel was clearly of very high rank because although the Urualese looked unhappy with the situation, they didn’t question Riels authority.

The cave they were gathered in was directly beneath the village of Shueal. A stepped tunnel led up from the cave into a large domed structure. The Shadowhunters and Urualese poured out of the tunnel and into the structure, squeezing together shoulder to shoulder. Light was slowly creeping in through the windows as dawn was breaking. Riel instructed them to wait for their signal and slipped outside. The Shadowhunters and Urualese stared at each other awkwardly.

“Cool armour,” Jace said winking at a soldier next to him. The soldier responded by rolling their eyes and turning to face the other direction. “Sheesh, ok, ok, I get it. No small talk.”

“You better not get in our way out there Shadowbeing! We have waited a long time for an opportunity to destroy Beelzebub. If anything goes wrong, I will cut off your head and give it to my child for sport,” growled a nearby Urualese.

“Firstly, it’s ShadowHUNTER. Secondly, we are on YOUR SIDE,” Jace retorted, “if anything, you better not get in MY way.”

“Chill out Jace. Tensions are high enough without your cheek,” Isabelle stared daggers at him.

With that Riel pulled open the double doors and yelled in his native tongue, followed by English, “the corpses attack from the north! Protect the villagers! Keep watch for Beelzebub!”

Riel stood aside as the soldiers stormed out of the building, with even more emerging from the tunnel below. Alec, Jace and Isabelle had activated their runes and were running full speed towards the battle front. Alec could see hundreds of skeletons swarming over domed houses and attacking villagers. Isabelle did not hesitate before laying waste to four skeletons with one slash of her glowing adamas whip. Jace leapt through the air, grinning wildly and skewering the skeletons like kebabs. Alec quickly scrambled up one of the dome houses to gain a vantage point. He saw Riel slashing their saber at lightning speed, skeletons crumbling at their feet. Isabelle danced around Riel, picking off the once they had missed. It looked like the Urualese and Shadowhunters fought well together. Alec took a moment to survey his surroundings, trying to see the direction the skeletons came from. Behind the advancing undead army was a large hill. The sun was rising from behind it. Alec put his hands over his eyes to block the glare and he felt his heart skip a beat. Magnus was standing at the top of the hill, the beastly Beelzebub beside him. Suddenly Beelzebub put his arm around Magnus and pulled him tightly against his body. Alec felt himself filled with rage. How dare he touch Magnus like that. Within seconds Alec had shot two arrows at Beelzebub, who picked Magnus up into his arms and disappeared over the other side of the hill. Alec jumped off the building. He pulled his seraph blade from its sheath and began to hack his way through the skeletons.

“Beelzebub,” he shouted, “is over the hill.” Some of the Urualese, including Riel, began to follow Alec as they broke through the scrimmage and ran up the hill slope. As Alec reached the hillcrest, he found himself looking down into a shallow valley. Beelzebub and Magnus were nowhere in sight. A small campfire was smouldering next to a stream and there was some churned up dirt to show there had been movement there. Alec ran down to the campfire, Riel by his side.

“He escaped! So quickly,” Riel said through gritted teeth. Alec wasn’t listening. He was staring at the make-shift moss bed next to the fire. Two bodies had laid there the night before. He thought of what Riel had said, about Beelzebub’s mind-control pheromones.

He kicked at the ‘bed’ roaring from his belly, “MAGNUS!” He turned to Riel, his face glowering. “I struck Beelzebub with an arrow that has an imbedded tracking device, lets gather as many soldiers and follow them now.”

Riel nodded and returned the village. Alec stood by the campfire, his hands clenched to at his side, his heart pounding, he fought back the tears. _Magnus, please come back to me._


	16. Chapter 16

Beelzebub was furious. He paced back and forth in his dining chamber, trying to figure out how the Shadowhunters could have followed him to Urual. _They tracked us so quickly, and all the way to Shueal! When did they join forces with the Urualese?_ Beelzebub felt old. He felt as if the world kept changing around him and he was the only one not keeping up. He missed the past, when he still reigned supreme Lord of Hell. Back then he had hundreds of devoted subjects, who were his eyes and ears across multiple universes. He never had to act alone. He had commanders and chief advisers, even a species of demon spawn perfectly bred as secret agents to commit espionage. With the snap of a finger he would have captured all those Urualese and banished them to the deepest demon pits of Hell. He never dreamed that one day he would have to resort to grave-digging and using long disposed Shadowhunters for protection. Looking back at his previous life, he had to admit, he become too complacent. With so much power, came arrogance. His enemies had known just how to exploit him. Playing into his greed and desires, they had tricked him. He had been cast from Hell, like mere lower-class demon scum. And now, the same thing was about to happen again, here on Urual. Beelzebub smashed his fist onto a large marble table, cracking it down the center. He roared in frustration. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a small figure jump with fright, and he felt his heart soften. Magnus was standing under a large archway that led into the enormous dining hall. He watched Beelzebub with wide eyes. His hair was still a bit messy, but he wore new red silk robes that Beelzebub had given him. He had the same perplexed look on his face that all his servants had. Sighing Beelzebub beckoned for Magnus to come over. He pulled out a chair beside the cracked marble table and gestured for him to take a seat. Magnus sat down obediently. Beelzebub sat down across from him. He put his head between his clawed hands and gave out a defeated grunt. Magnus looked at the devil with concern.

“Is everything ok?”

“I am afraid not my little Warlock. I think I may be losing the war.”

“Why?”

“Well, firstly, did you see anybody else in this large castle of mine? No? Well it’s because there is nobody left in this world for me. The Urualese, those useless creatures, have rebelled awfully against my rule here. They work together to destroy me. Nobody from hell would help me, even if I asked. I am alone little Warlock. They will storm this castle at any moment now and burn everything to the ground.

Magnus stood up from his seat and walked around to Beelzebub’s side. He reached out a hand and gently touched his shoulder.

“So why do you bother to stay here? Why do you need to control a whole civilization of people for the sake of power and the feeling of self-importance? Maybe you should try living a different type of existence. Nobody wrote your destiny on some divine stone tablet, did they? To be honest Beelzebub, torturing the people that you expect to love you is very medieval,” Magnus said gently.

Beelzebub knew that Magnus was only behaving in such devoting manner because he was intoxicated by his demonic pheromones. However, Magnus still spoke with a frankness that surprised him.

With a “hmpf”, Beelzebub put has hand around Magnus’ waist and pulled him to his lap. He slowly ran a finger down Magnus’ check. His skin felt so soft. He grabbed the lapels of Magnus’ rope and pulled them apart, revealing the scar he had left there. Reaching out with his long tongue he began to lick Magnus from his neck down his chest and circled around his navel. Magnus sat in silence, wide-eyed, staring at Beelzebub intently. His expression was a mixture of enjoyment and horror. Beelzebub knew that the Warlock was experiencing some internal battle with what was happening. Beelzebub chuckled and with a flick of his finger, he undid the button on Magnus’ trousers. His long tongue reached into Magnus pants and he watched as Magnus’ cheeks began to blush furiously red.

“I….I…don’t want to,” stuttered Magnus. The confusion on his face was more evident than ever.

 _This little warlock is desperately trying to resist me. How curious._ Beelzebub thought for a moment and his tongue disappeared back into his mouth. He smacked his lips looking at Magnus with interest. “Nobody has ever said no to me. Maybe you’re right little Warlock, maybe it is time to retire,” he said with a sigh. Beelzebub’s face darkened, his expression gloomy and pensive.

Magnus, still flushed in the face, forced himself to stand up from Beelzebub’s lap. Something felt so incredibly wrong about the moment, that he was jolted back to reality. Suddenly he could see that behind the façade of this gorgeous palace and this powerful king, something sinister was lurking. Magnus knew for one, he couldn’t remember who he was, and that alone spoke volumes of the situation.

“Alright, Warlock, get out of here. You know where your bedroom chambers are.”

Magnus walked out the room, his legs shaking slightly. He needed to think clearly. Something was wrong, he just couldn’t figure out what exactly. As Magnus walked along the long corridor, large open windows faced out onto rolling hills. The sky was lapa lazuli blue scattered with white wispy clouds. One of the fields was golden with flowers in bloom. By the time he reached his room he felt a mourning in his heart. A feeling of great loss and sadness. But he didn’t know for what or for whom he mourned. Magnus’ sat down on the large bed, covered in strange and luxurious furs and he laid down on his back. _Who was I before? Why do I feel this overwhelming desire to stay at Beelzebub’s side?_ When he tried to reach back into his memories, he found his mind to be completely blank. He closed his eyes and slowly started to drift to sleep. He thought he heard a voice in the deepest recesses of his subconscious.

“Promise you will find me Magnus.”


	17. Chapter 17

Most of the Urualese and Shadowhunters stayed behind in Shueal to clear out the last of the skeleton army. The skeletons were ferocious, but after Beelzebub had fled, they were weakened. Even the locals of Shueal had a small weapons cache and were able to assist in the battle. Alec, Jace and Isabelle, joined by Riel and a dozen of the best Urualese soldiers, began to track Beelzebub as soon as the battle was under control. They followed a trail from the village, which led them onto an expansive landscape of undulating hills covered in emerald green grasses and sprinkled with small yellow blossoms. Isabelle had gasped out loud at the beautiful scene before her. However, the serene landscape didn’t seem to fit the overall mood. Once the direction they were travelling became clear, Riel quickly realized where they were headed.

“Beelzebub has retreated to his castle. What a predictable move,” scoffed Riel. The underground tunnels were built far from Beelzebub’s residence, out of fear of being discovered. So, they had no other option but to trek there by foot. By Riel’s estimates they would reach their destination by nightfall. Alec realized that it had been two days since they had last slept, and the group took a short break beside a river. Alec, Jace and Isabelle took the opportunity to drew stamina and nourishment runes on one another.

“How are your soldiers, Riel? We use runes for endurance, but I don’t know what your people need?”

“I appreciate your concern Shadowbeing, but we have been doing endurance training for most of our lives. You must remember that we have been waiting a lot time to drive Beelzebub off our planet. These soldiers here are extremely eager to be the ones to do so. They will be heroes among our people.”

“And what happens when we reach the castle? Does Beelzebub have many of his own soldiers there?” Alec asked as he balanced on a stone in the river and bent down to fill his water canister.

“Not any longer. Once our informants knew that Beelzebub had gone off planet, we rushed the castle and killed everyone.”

“You killed them?” Alec choked on a sip of water in surprise.

“We had no choice. They were completely brainwashed by Beelzebub. They had no recollection of who they once were. They wanted to die for him,” Riel replied defensively. Even with the large helmet covering most of Riels face, Alec could see the pain in their eyes. “Someone I was close was among those slain. It was not easy.”

Alec didn’t know what to say. His mind had already gone to Magnus.

“Shall we get going?” Jace interrupted the silence.

“Yes, the sooner we get there, the better. It’s time to end this once and for all.” Riel composed themself quickly and turned to lead the way.

“You ok?” Jace asked Alec as he fell into step beside him.

“I’m fine, just worried. What if Magnus is too deep under Beelzebub’s spell? What if he tries to fight me?” Alec’s voice was low and gruff.

“Magnus is one of the strongest people I have ever met. I don’t think his soul would allow him to forget us. Especially not you Alec.”

Alec felt somewhat soothed by his parabatai’s words and he broke into a jog. The rest picked up their pace and followed him along the winding path that followed the contour of the hillside. 


	18. Chapter 18

Magnus woke up to a soft tapping sound. He opened his eyes to a dark room. He sat up quickly to see outline of Beelzebub standing at the doorway, tapping his long nails against the wall.

“Wakey wakey my little Warlock,” Beelzebub cooed, “it’s so dark in here. Why don’t you light the lamps?”

Magnus looked at the lamp next to his bed. “I don’t have any matches…” he replied uncertainly.

“Well use your magic then,” Beelzebub smiled, his sharp teeth glowing in the dark like a demonic Cheshire cat. Magnus suddenly felt a surge of warmth run through his body. It felt like a tap of power had been opened within him and he tingled from head to toe. He snapped his fingers and a small flame appeared there. His face lit up both from the light and joy. Without understanding why, he knew exactly what to do. With a flick of his wrist all the lamps in the room erupted with light. His eyes sparkled and he smiled back at Beelzebub.

“Thank you!”

Beelzebub chuckled, looking satisfied with himself he walked out of the door, “come with me Warlock, I want to show you something.”

Magnus jumped out of the bed, pulled on his shoes and followed Beelzebub out the door. Beelzebub led him up a spiral stone staircase and out onto a large flat rooftop. The three moons in the sky had begun to wane, but the light they emitted was still bright. Beelzebub walked over to the railing and looked out across the rolling hills. The grasses rustled in the breeze like ripples across a lake surface.

Beelzebub drew a deep breath, “I think you were right earlier Warlock; I think my time on this planet is up. I am old and tired. Now that I have you by my side, I can go anywhere and retire in peace.”

Magnus was quiet for a moment. Still uncertain of his feelings. He felt Beelzebub place a hand against his back and a shiver ran through his body.

“Where do you plan to go?”

“You mean where do WE plan to go? I know a place at the end of the universe. A place more beautiful then here. There we will build a new world together. What kind of world would you like little Warlock?”

Magnus hadn’t the clue. The sense of mourning and sadness still weighed heavily on his chest. His brows furrowed as he tried to tease out some clarity in his thoughts. Something overcame him.

“I want to help people. I like to help people. I like to help my friends” He didn’t why he said it, he just did.

Beelzebub let out a deep roar that emanated from deep in his belly. He turned swiftly towards Magnus and slapped him across his face. Magnus immediately fell to the floor, clutching the side of his head in shock. Beelzebub towered over him menacingly, his shoulders heaving with rage. Magnus lifted his hands to protect himself from another attack. Once again, he felt a shift in his reality. _Something is not right. Why am I here?_

Beelzebub suddenly knelt before him. Reaching out slowly he touched Magnus’ cheek. The side of his face was red and beginning to swell.

“Remember Warlock, you belong to me. I am your only friend. So, if helping a friend is what you want to do, then you better only be helping me.” Beelzebub’s voice had calmed but did nothing to slow down Magnus’ thumping heart. He drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them. Beelzebub frowned, “hold out your arm,” he demanded. Magnus obliged. Beelzebub pushed up the sleeve of his gown and with a sharp nail, made a clean cut along Magnus’ forearm. Magnus winced with pain. Beelzebub stood up yanking Magnus with him. Using the blood dripping from the wound, he began to draw a pentagram onto the ground.


	19. Chapter 19

Alec and company reached their destination as the sun was setting in the south and the moons began to rise in the north. On the horizon to the east perched a large medieval castle overlooking the grassy hills. Its architecture looked out of place in this world. Like a prop on movie set. Alec looked at Riel with a raised eyebrow.

Riel shrugged, “it just appeared here one day, when Beelzebub first arrived. Apparently, it was once occupied by demonic creatures who would terrorize the locals. But eventually they were all killed off by our soldiers. Demons never came to the castle again, only the skeletons that Beelzebub brought from your world.”

“It seems that Beelzebub no longer has an allegiance with hell, otherwise the place would be swarming with demons,” thought Isabelle out loud, “I wonder what happened?”

“There have been rumours, that Beelzebub was becoming increasingly unstable. Perhaps he was more trouble than what he was worth,” one of the Urualese commented from behind.

“And we certainly didn’t help with the matter. We used our secret tunnels to sabotage all his attempts at regaining control. He couldn’t understand how we were able to manoeuvre around him and predict his moves. It drove him insane,” Riel added.

The sun had finally set, and the sky had turned crimson. An ominous red-orange hue fell across the landscape. Alec looked towards the castle and nodded in its direction, “so what’s the plan?”

Riel pulled out a clear crystal shard from somewhere in their armour. A map appeared on the crystal face.

“Our soldiers mapped the building when they were here last. As you can see there is an inconspicuous service entrance at the back. We should enter here. Beelzebub’s mains chambers lie here and here. I think we should stick together instead of splitting up. Beelzebub is still strong on his own and the Warlock may pose a threat too.”

Alec opened his mouth to protest this statement, but then realized that Riel might be right. He had no idea if Magnus was in a lucid state of mind.

The team of Shadowhunters and Urualese waited until dark before they began to sneak up to the castle. They quietly hid in the shadows and made their way around to the service entrance. The large wooden door was locked, but Isabelle quickly drew an opening rune leaving the Urualese “oohing” and “aahing”. The door opened easily, and they quickly slipped inside. The castle was dusty, cold and eerily quiet. They moved swiftly with Riel leading the way with the crystal map. Every room they entered was empty and dark. Alec began to worry that they had already fled the castle until he heard a tremendous roar come from above them.

“The roof,” whispered Riel. Putting the map away, Riel pulled their saber from its sheath and motioned for them to follow up a spiralling staircase. As they reached the top, they could hear voices. Holding up their fingers, Riel silently counted _three, two, one_ and kicked down the door. The squad rushed out onto the roof. Beelzebub’s gangly form stood twisted against the moonlight. He was grasping Magnus by the wrist. Blood was dripping to the floor and Magnus’ face was pale. Magnus stared at them blankly, his mouth slightly open. He looked like a rag doll being held up by Beelzebub. Beelzebub wasted no time. He dropped Magnus to the floor and began reciting a demonic incantation. Alec could see a pentagram on the floor begin to glow as he chanted. Everyone rushed at Beelzebub at once. Magnus staggered to his feet and threw out his arm in their direction muttering something under his breath. Alec, running at full speed towards Magnus, felt himself bounce backwards off an invisible barrier. Magnus had cast a forcefield in front of himself and Beelzebub.

“Magnus! What are you doing? It’s me. Magnus! It’s me!” hollered Alec, pounding his fists against the forcefield. 

Beelzebub stopped his incantation to laugh. He turned to Magnus and stoked his head, “that’s my good Warlock. Well done,” he purred.

“Magnus please,” Alec choked. The tears were streaming freely down his cheeks, “Magnus, I love you! Don’t do this.”

Magnus caught his eyes and stared back at Alec intently. He looked frightened and confused. His expression broke Alec’s heart.

“Magnus, do you remember our wedding? Do you remember how many people came? We didn’t have enough chairs in the whole institute for everyone. People had to stand in the back for the whole ceremony. All those people are your friends Magnus. All of those people love you and miss you and want you back.”

Alec thought he noticed Magnus twitch.

“Do you remember, that we made a promise once? A promise that if anything would happen to any of us, we would never stop looking for each other. Not until we were stone cold dead and buried in the ground.”

Magnus began to tremble at Alec’s words.

“Shut up,” Beelzebub shouted suddenly. He quickly began the incantation again, the pentagram once more glowing on the ground before him.

Alec held eye contact with Magnus the entire time. He refused to look away. He refused to let him go. The others were darting back and forth along the forcefield, trying hard to break through, but Alec stood unwavering. Magnus looked as if he was holding his breath. Suddenly he lowered his hand, the force field broke. Alec lost his focus on Magnus as he stumbled forward. He quickly looked up and Magnus was still staring back at him. Feeling his heart explode in his chest he rushed forward, but as he did so, Magnus turned to Beelzebub. Beelzebub was still staring intently at the portal forming before him and hadn’t yet realized the forcefield had been broken. Magnus opened both his hands and released a binding spell, locking Beelzebub’s hands and legs together. Beelzebub, who still had mobility in his neck turned a snarling face towards Magnus.

“How dare you,” he spat.

Magnus, still fighting his own thoughts under Beelzebub’s spell, only stared back at him, without saying a word.

The wrath of the Urualese, Jace and Isabelle erupted upon Beelzebub. Magnus held the spell as long as possible, but Beelzebub was strong, and he felt his legs collapse beneath him. As he fell, gentle arms caught him. Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus shoulders and sank to the floor holding him tightly. Magnus lay in Alec’s lap with his eyes closed.

“Magnus,” whispered Alec, “Magnus are you ok?”

Magnus’ eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Alec with a furrowed brow. “Who are you?”


	20. Chapter 20

Magnus looked up at large soft brown eyes gazing down at him. There was concern in the serious stare. Suddenly he felt defensive. _Who does this person think they are to me? I don’t remember… I don’t know…_ Magnus felt nervous all of a sudden and tried to push Alec away from him. Alec was kneeling, but only shifted slightly with Magnus’ shove. Alec’s brows furrowed and the colour drained from his face. Reluctantly Alec released his grip on Magnus’ shoulders and edged away, giving him space. Magnus felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips as his magic begin to build up once more. He looked at Alec and then back to Beelzebub, who had broken free of the magical restraints and was aggressively fighting his attackers. Magnus grabbed his head in his hands, his mind swimming with emotions and fragmented thoughts. He screamed out loud in anguish. Alec immediately motioned towards him, but Magnus recoiled.

“I… don’t remember anything. I don’t remember my life before now,” Magnus half shouted at Alec. His hands gripped the side of his head in despair, and he bit down hard on his lower lip. He couldn’t look at Alec’s face. The more he looked at him, the more confused he felt.

“Okay, so you don’t need to remember everything right now. That’s fine. But let me ask you something? Is Beelzebub kind to you? Does he respect you? Do you have your freedom with him?” Alec, still on his knees, opened the palms of his hands as he faced Magnus. He was shaking enough for Magnus to notice. His chest was rising and falling heavily, as if he was struggling to breath.

“He gave me magic…” Magnus choked out. Remembering the tingling feeling in his fingers.

“You had magic before him! He was the one who took it away in the first place”

Magnus felt more confused. _I had magic before? He took it away and then gave it back, just to make me think he is my saviour?_ Magnus reached to touch his cheek, it felt swollen and sore.

“Did he hurt you?” Alec asked softly.

Magnus glanced up at the fray before them. Beelzebub had someone by the neck, the veins were bulging from his thick arms. Suddenly a golden-haired young man slashed a sword at Beelzebub’s arm forcing him to release. Beelzebub roared swiping left and right at the soldiers that surrounded him. Some could dodge him, others went flying across the roof top, their bodies slumping, powerless, onto the floor. Magnus looked back at Alec, his face streaked with tears.

“Magnus, you don’t have to stay with him. Let me help you remember. There is so many wonderful things to remember,” Alec slowly reached towards Magnus, gently taking one of his hands that were clenched at his knees. Alec ran his fingers gently against Magnus’ taut knuckles. He swallowed hard looking into Magnus eyes, “please just trust me. Let me take you away from here.”

Magnus had no recollection of this person, or his life before, but an inner voice was speaking to him, telling him to trust this man. Suddenly he stood up, energy surging through his body, he turned to look at Beelzebub. Beelzebub looked back at him, their eyes connecting briefly.

“What are you doing? Defend me Warlock. Now!” He commanded. His voice boomed, louder than Magnus had ever heard it before. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he shivered. Magnus began to concentrate the magic that coursed through his body between the palms of his hands. He watched as the remaining soldiers were circling Beelzebub. Magnus aimed his hands and he closed his eyes. He let the magic surge out of him. He used the last bit of magic that he could spare. Once again, his legs gave out beneath him. This time he was relieved to be caught.

An exasperated voice whispered into his ear, “Magnus, you did it.”

Magnus eyelashes flickered as he forced his eyes open. A large form collapsed before him. He could smell fresh blood and burned flesh. A cry erupt from his chest as he broke down into sobs. Beelzebub was dead, he had killed him, and it felt like a part of himself had also died.

Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus, holding his shaking body against his.

“Magnus, you saved us all,” Alec whispered into his ear. After some minutes, Magnus reached his hands behind Alec’s back and hugged him back tightly. He allowed himself sink into the embrace with an overwhelming sensation of relief. Soon after he had passed out.

\------

The aftermath of the fight was gruesome. Many of the Urualese were badly injured, but luckily there were no fatalities. Beelzebub’s corpse began to sizzle and hiss as if it were doused in acid, eventually melting into a disgusting puddle of charred, fleshy ichor.

Alec lifted an unconscious Magnus into his arms. He lowered his head and listened to his shallow breaths. Jace and Isabelle rushed to his side with concerned faces.

“How is he?” Isabelle asked urgently, wiping blood from her face. Her hair was tasselled, and parts of her gear was ripped. Jace looked equally as dishevelled.

“I think he is going to be ok,” Alec replied, looking down at Magnus’ pale face.

Riel suddenly joined them, eyes smiling through their helmet, “it’s finally all over, Beelzebub is dead!” Riel looked worriedly at Magnus, “we have a military base with medicine and supplies not too far from here. You all need to rest, and he needs urgent care. Please come with us.”

As eager as Alec was to get back to the portal and to go home, they were all exhausted and Magnus’ condition looked worrisome. He nodded at Riel with gratitude.


	21. Chapter 21

Magnus woke up with a splitting headache. _When will I learn that vodka and I are not friends?_ The room was bright, and he shielded his eyes from the glare. Sitting up, Magnus felt his whole-body ache. _On second thought, this feels more like a spell hangover._ Swinging his legs over to the side of the bed he suddenly realized that he had no idea where he was. The room was a type of geodesic dome made from smooth white metal that he had never seen before. Sleeping in a chair next to his bed was an extremely handsome dark-haired man. His looks were so striking Magnus suddenly felt shy and his cheeks burned red. He looked down to see he was wearing simple tawny pants and loose-fitting shirt. The outfit was not very becoming. Magnus was careful to stand up quietly and made his way to the window. He looked out onto what seemed to be a type of camp. There were many other domes and strange looking humanoids dressed in similar loose-fitting clothing. They were preparing food, laughing and cheering, as if they were celebrating. He wasn’t shocked at all to see the humanoid-like beings. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully he came to the conclusion that he must have some sort of amnesia. That would explain why he felt familiarity with the beings outside and the one sleeping in the chair. Magnus turned back to the room and began to look for clues to try and piece together the puzzle. Propped up against the door was a large bow and a quiver with arrows. He fingered the red feathers on the arrows thoughtfully. Something stirred in his heart. Hanging on a hook on the wall was a leather jacket. Magnus quietly began to search the pockets. He found a strange wand. _A Stele, that’s what it’s called. Shadowhunter’s use Stele’s._ Magnus glanced at the man sleeping in the chair realizing that he was probably a Shadowhunter. He continued to rummage through the pockets of the jacket. He found an assortment of knives, a dead cellphone and a thin wallet. Feeling excited he flipped open the wallet, hoping to find out the identity of the man in the room. However, there was no ID or driver’s licence, only some euro’s and dollars. He peeled open a small flap and pulled out a small wad of photobooth photos. He nearly dropped the wallet in surprise. The photos were of him, and this man. He flipped through them looking at himself laughing, hugging and kissing the dark stranger. He swallowed nervously. _This amnesia is no joke. This man, he and I…we must be…_ Magnus’ thoughts were interrupted as he heard the man stir in the chair. Magnus looked up to see two large brown eyes fixed on him. He suddenly felt very guilty being caught in the act of snooping.

“I…I am very sorry. This is very rude of me. It’s just that. I can’t seem to remember much…of anything really.” Magnus held up the photos, “but I am guessing we know each other pretty well.”

The man stood from his chair and walked over to Magnus. His eyes were blood shot, but he had a smile on his lips, “Magnus, it’s me, Alec.” Alec reached out as if he wanted to touch his face but lowered his hand quickly. Instead he picked up a vial that was on the bedside table. “The doctors think this might help with your memory. They have been working on a cure for quite some time. It hasn’t worked before, but…well…circumstances have changed. Will you try it?”

Magnus took the vial cautiously, eyeing the contents inside. It was clear with a blue tinge to it. _I have nothing to lose, I guess._ Magnus knocked back the liquid as if it were a shot of patron. Within seconds he felt his memories begin to flood back. First, he remembered the New York Institute, his apartment, his friends, the first moment he laid eyes on Alec. It was all so over-whelming he began to feel dizzy. With all of the memories returning, came all of the emotions. He clutched as his heart as he felt everything at once. Alec was at his side in an instant. He pulled Magnus’ arm over his shoulder and guided him to sit on the bed. Sitting beside him he looked at Magnus in anticipation, waiting for him to say something. Magnus closed his eyes for some time before he was able to compose himself enough to talk.

“I…remember Alec,” he croaked, “I remember everything.” Magnus’ eyes welled with tears as Alec grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I was so worried. How much do you remember? Do you remember what happened here on Urual? Do you remember Beelzebub?” 

“I…I remember everything Alec. But I wish I didn’t,” Magnus voice was shaking now. He clutched at his heart again, “Beelzebub, he…did terrible things. I…he…,” his voice trailed off, unable to talk any longer.

Alec took both of Magnus’ hands into his own. Lifting one hand to his mouth he planted a soft kiss against his knuckles. “Listen to me, none of this was your fault. Beelzebub had mind-controlling demonic pheromones that he would use as a way to drug his victims and convince them to be his loyal servants. The pheromones were so strong that as long as Beelzebub was alive, nobody was ever able to break the spell. But you, Magnus, you fought against it. You were able to sense the danger even under the spell. You are amazing,” Alec’s eyes shone as he spoke. He squeezed Magnus’ hands tightly in his own.

“Alexander, you followed me across the universe to save me. Thank you.” Magnus replied, smiling back at him.

But through the smile, Alec could see a darkness clouding his eyes. He wasn’t sure what had happened with Beelzebub, and he didn’t want to press him about it too quickly.

“How about we take a walk? I’m sure you don’t want to stay in this room all day,” Alec stood up, holding out his hand.

Magnus, happy for a moment of distraction, allowed Alec to pull him up and lead him out of the dome building. As Magnus had witnessed earlier, there was festivities all around the encampment. He was even surprised to see some Shadowhunters laughing and drinking with the Urualese. They waved at him as they passed by, some shouted that they were happy to see that he was awake, but none came over, giving them their space. Alec had not let go of Magnus’ hand for one moment. He led Magnus out of the camp area, into an endless field of small yellow flowers. They walked for some time before they found a nice spot to sit. The yellow flowers were so bright and cheerful, Magnus couldn’t help but genuinely smile. He suddenly recalled a dream he had had back when he had hit his head in the catacombs.

“This is really weird, but the only thing I sort of remembered during this whole ordeal was this dream I had about you. We were lying in a field just like this,” Magnus lay on his back with Alec next to him. “The whole time I was with Beelzebub my thoughts were so jumbled, but when I closed my eyes to sleep, I could hear your voice, even though I didn’t know it was you.” Alec ran his fingertips along Magnus’ forearm. When Alec didn’t say anything back, Magnus turned over to see tears streaming down his cheeks while he stared up at the sky.

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered hoarsely, reaching out he brushed his tears away.

“I am so sorry Magnus; this was all my fault. It’s my fault that I didn’t check on the demon towers myself. It’s my fault that you went into the catacombs alone. It’s my fault that Beelzebub brought you here to begin with and it’s my fault that he hurt you,” Alec spoke through gritted teeth. Magnus pulled Alec into a sitting position he reached out and cupped his cheek.

“Magnus, what did Beelzebub do to you?” Alec blurted out. He was shaking.

Magnus took a deep breath and told Alec what he knew. He told him about how Beelzebub had bathed him in a stream, and how he had woken up naked. He had no idea if anything had happened, but he really didn’t think so. And then he told him about the inappropriate touching at the castle and how horrible and confused he felt. Magnus looked sickly as he told Alec about what had happened. Alec just grabbed him and hugged him. They held each other for long like this, heads buried in one another necks. Eventually they peeled apart and stared intently in each other’s eyes.

“I know you want to blame yourself Alec, but please don’t. You came looking for me and you gave me the courage to kill Beelzebub.”

Alec leaned forward and kissed Magnus cautiously at the corner of his lips and Magnus smiled. He followed Alec’s lips with his and kissed him back. Not allowing him to escape until his lips felt tender and swollen.

“I will never let anything happen to you again Magnus, do you hear me,” Alec said breathlessly, and he clasped his hands around Magnus face. “I will be at your side, defending you and loving you until the end of time. I swear it!”

“I know you will.”

The two sat in the field for quite some time. Talking, hugging, kissing. Nobody could see them as the flowers came up to their necks. Eventually Alec could hear Jace calling for them.

“The Urualese are celebrating Beelzebub’s defeat tonight. They have invited us all as guests of honour. Will you be my date?” Alec asked as he held out a flower to Magnus.


	22. Chapter 22

By the time they had returned, the sun had begun to set, and the festivities had already started. A large bonfire burned at the center of the encampment and large pots of food cooked on a pile of coals nearby. The Urualese army and Shadowhunters alike, were chatting amongst themselves cheerfully. As Alec and Magnus approached, Isabelle came running from somewhere in the crowd. She flung her arms around Magnus’ neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Welcome back Magnus,” she looked at him grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah man, it’s great to have you back,” said Jace strolling up to them from behind. He took his turn with grabbing Magnus and hugging him fiercely.

“How do you feel?” asked Isabelle cautiously.

“Much better actually, my headache is gone, and my thoughts are clearer than they have been in days. I could really, really use a drink though,” Magnus smiled broadly at the pair. His heart warmed just at seeing their faces. 

“Oh Magnus, just wait until you taste the Urualese wine. Honestly, we must take some crates back with us,” Isabelle said, holding up her finger, she pointed at them, “don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

“Magnus, you did a great job back at the castle. Riel told us that nobody had ever been able to release themselves from Beelzebub’s spell. Not you though. You torched the son of a bitch like crème brûlée!” Jace looked ecstatic.

Alec, who had been standing closely besides Magnus, felt him stiffen up slightly. He caught Jace’s eye and shook his head subtly.

“Um…but yeah, well done. The rest of the Urualese would love to meet you. You are all they have been talking about since we got back here. Did you know, nobody can use magic on this planet…”

Isabelle swiftly cut him off by slipping in front of him, holding a tray of goblets filled to the brim with rosy wine.

The wine was delicious indeed. Magnus felt his whole body relax with the first sip. He sighed audibly, a smile cracking at his lips. It was a beautiful, calm evening. The mysterious star constellations and waning moons shone brightly overhead. The Urualese were extremely welcoming. Many came over to Magnus to thank him for his part in the battle. At some point in the night Riel gave a lengthy speech about ‘new beginnings’; ‘freedom and independence’ and ‘a lifelong friendship with the Shadowhunters from Earth’.

At the end of the evening Magnus and Alec, both a little tipsy, stumbled back to their dome. But not before accidentally walking into the wrong one, interrupting a Urualese couple engaging in a strange erotic dance. Exclaiming apologizes and stifling giggles they eventually found the right dome.

Alec felt relieved to have Magnus all to himself again. He had been worriedly shooting glances at Magnus throughout the night. Magnus had noticed Alec’s vigilance and found it adorable.

“How are you feeling?” Alec asked Magnus as soon as the door shut behind them.

“Honestly, I think it will take a little while to feel normal again. But tonight was a great start. I can’t say I will ever want to come here again, but Isabelle is right, we need to take some wine home,” Magnus said slumping down onto the bed.

“Just tell me how many bottles you want, I will arrange it,” Alec said immediately. He looked about to leave the room again before Magnus quickly grabbed his hand.

“Tomorrow, right now, all I can think of it spending the night with you.” With a yank, Magnus pulled Alec onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck and kissed him deeply. Alec gave in at once, grabbing Magnus at the waist pulling him close. As they kissed, they folded themselves into one another. Arms and legs tangled. That was how they fell asleep. Wrapped tightly in one another’s arms, Magnus’s head against Alec’s chest.


	23. Chapter 23

Early the next morning they began their trek back to the portal. The Urualese soldiers escorted the Shadowhunters back to Shuael, where they parted ways, excited to get home to friends and family. Riel stayed with them for the trip back through the tunnels and to the forest where they had first arrived. The trip took most of the day, but Alec was delighted that Magnus could finally see all the impressive Urualese technology. He was right at thinking that Magnus would be overly excited by the Urualese transportation system. Magnus had gone into deep discussion with Riel over power sources and energy crystals and by the end of the day the two seemed to be good friends. When the group finally arrived in the forest it was already dusk. They could see the soft golden glow of the portal through the trees.

“Tessa managed to keep it open,” breathed Isabelle with relief.

“Well, she is a very powerful Warlock. And if my time dilation calculations are correct, luckily for her, only two hours would have passed,” Magnus said with a smile.

“I suppose we shall part ways here then,” said Riel, looking slightly disappointed. “Magnus, I have something you might find interesting.” Riel pulled a few leather-bound books from their satchel. “We took these from Beelzebub’s castle. I suppose they are spell books of some kind. You will probably find more use for them then we would.” Riel held out the books to Magnus who suddenly froze. He stared at the books in Riels hands as if he was being handed a venomous snake.

“Um…yes, thank you so much Riel,” Alec, who noticed Magnus’ shocked expression, took the books from Riel hastily.

It was a sad farewell, but Alec promised that they would investigate the possibility of opening a permanent portal with the Urualese.

“If anything, we need to trade wine in the near future,” added Isabelle, jingling the bottles she had slung over her shoulder joyously.

With heartfelt goodbyes, the Shadowhunters entered the portal.

\----

The crypt of Alicante felt surreal. Magnus rubbed his eyes, looking around at the large chamber that he had been trapped in a week ago. The room was filled with Shadowhunters, including many of the members of the council. He was especially surprised to see himself, smiling back at him. A few seconds later Tessa changed back to herself and flung herself forward giving Magnus a warm hug.

Overall, a huge fuss was made. Alec was immediately surrounded by the council members, demanding explanations. Jace and Isabelle were similarly accosted, being asked to give statements. Alec and Magnus caught each other’s eyes from across the room.

 _I’m sorry_ Alec mouthed to Magnus.

Magnus sighed to himself, but before he had time to be annoyed, Tessa had slipped her arm through his.

“I am sure you have been through quite a lot Magnus. I told Jia to wait before she interrogated you. Let’s get you out of this place for now.”

Magnus signalled to Alec that he would wait for him at home and followed Tessa out of the catacombs. Retracing his path through the tunnels, Magnus was reminded of the incidents on the day he had been taken by Beelzebub. It was hard to think about. If he had made different choices, would he have been kidnapped at all? If he hadn’t, would the Urualese been able to take down Beelzebub without him? How different would have events panned out?

When they finally stepped out of the Gard and into the streets of Alicante, Magnus felt as if he was waking up from a dream. He couldn’t help but think _it’s good to be home._

Home, he thought of Alicante as home.

\---

Tessa said farewell to Magnus after asking him a hundred times if he was ok. He assured her that he was perfectly fine, but when the door closed behind her, it felt the like the room suddenly became dark and cold. He turned around to look at his apartment. He felt happy to see the familiar furniture, but now that he was alone with his thoughts, he realized that he actually didn’t feel fine at all. Magnus slowly walked through the apartment, touching some of his favourite archaeological ornaments that he had displayed so proudly, trying to draw on the happiness those items used to give him. He made his way to the bedroom. Weapons and Shadowhunter gear were strewn around the room. Evidence of Alec’s panic when he first realized Magnus was missing. Magnus picked up the items and neatly put them into Alec’s cupboard. _Alexander, my sweet, wonderful Alexander._ For some reason Magnus felt like he didn’t deserve Alec’s love. Theoretically he understood that he had been ‘drugged’, but he felt so incredibly guilty. Magnus shivered, pushing the thoughts back in his mind. He took a long shower and checked the time. Alec had been gone for two hours. Magnus knew Shadowhunter protocol was very rigid, but he felt himself pining to have Alec with him. He crawled into bed and fell asleep shortly after.


	24. Chapter 24

Alec hated being kept away from Magnus, but there was no avoiding it. An emergency council meeting was held in the Gard. He was as efficient and to the point as possible when recounting the events of the past few days on Urual. The council were horrified and disgusted to hear about the Shadowhunter skeleton army but seemed very satisfied to hear that Beelzebub had been killed in the end. Alec made sure to emphasize that it was Magnus who dealt the final blow.

“You know, Magnus has been treated badly ever since we move here. Yet it was he who sacrificed himself to Beelzebub. And it was he who killed him. If I hear one more time that he is being treated disrespectfully, I will quit my position as inquisitor, and end all the efforts we’ve made to build up our alliances with the Downworld.” Alec threw up his hands and stormed out of the Gard before anyone could say anything.

He ran all the way home.

Alec immediately felt worried when he walked into the dark apartment. He left his dirty weapons at the door and carefully placed the pile of spell books on the table. He had carefully hidden them from the council. He wasn’t sure why but had an overwhelming feeling he needed to protect them. Besides, discussing the spell books would have kept him away even longer.

“Magnus?” He called out softly, tearing his eyes away from the books. He turned on the lights as walked through to the bedroom where he found Magnus curled up on the bed. His face was wet with sweat, he kicked off the sheets and was whimpering softly. Alec could immediately tell he was having a nightmare and hurried to his side grabbing his hand.

“Magnus, wake up. I’m here.”

Alec drew a breath as Magnus opened his eyes. Two yellow cat eyes looked back at him. Usually Magnus’ eyes were always glamoured. It was only when Magnus was truly agitated that he would lose control over that glamour.

“Alexander,” he breathed out. The strain on his face subsided. “I had a horrible dream.”

“I know, I am here now.” Alec kicked off his boots and pulled himself into the bed, wrapping his arms around Magnus, he pulled him tightly against his chest. He knew that that it would take time before Magnus felt safe again. He ran his fingers through Magnus hair. “Do you know how much I love you?” He pecked the top of Magnus head sweetly.

“I do. I hope you know much I love you.” Magnus replied. He had begun to relax into Alec’s arms.

“Don’t forget our promise. If anything would happen to any of us, we would never stop looking for each other. Not until we were stone cold dead and buried in the ground,” Alec whispered.

Magnus hugged him back tightly, “I’ll never forget.”

\---

Later that evening Alec lay wide awake. Magnus was breathing softly next to him. After trying different methods of meditation to help him fall asleep, he eventually gave up and soundlessly slipped out of the bed. He wandered through to the kitchen to make himself a cup of herbal tea. While he stirred in a spoon of honey, he heard a soft rustle come from the lounge. Frowning he picked up the tea mug and he followed the noise. Immediately his eyes were drawn to the spell books on the table. They were no longer stacked in the neat pile he had left them in. Instead, all five books were strewn across the table. There pages open revealing schematics of pentagrams and figures of savage looking creatures. The books almost appear to tremble. Alec quickly slammed each one shut, using a strap of leather to bound the books back into pile. He grabbed the books and shoved them into the cupboard, locking the door. His heart was racing.

“What’s are you doing?” He heard a groggy voice behind him. Alec spun around to see Magnus, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

“Ah…I couldn’t sleep. So, I made a cup of camomile. Would you like some?” Alec found himself conveniently leaving out the part about the restless spell books. _I don’t want to give him something more to worry about_.

Alec led a drowsy Magnus through to the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder he was sure he heard a noise from the cupboard. Nervously he closed the kitchen door behind them and decided that for now, he would just ignore it.


End file.
